Pubdate: Fri, 22 Jul 2016
Source: Dallas Morning News (TX)
Copyright: 2016 The Dallas Morning News, Inc.
Contact: http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/send-a-letter/
Website: http://www.dallasnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/117

\WOMAN SETTLES SUIT OVER CAVITY SEARCH AT BORDER

U.S. Customs and Border Protection will pay $475,000 to a New Mexico 
woman who accused agents in Texas of forcing her to undergo illegal 
body-cavity probes.

The woman was at an El Paso port of entry when a drug-sniffing dog 
jumped on her, according to court filings.

The American Civil Liberties Union in Texas and New Mexico announced 
the settlement Thursday. Customs and Border Protection officers will 
also be required to undergo additional training.

A lawsuit filed in 2013 said the woman - a 54-year-old U.S. citizen 
referred to only as Jane Doe - was "brutally" searched by customs 
agents in December 2012.

No drugs were found, but the woman was taken in handcuffs to a 
hospital, where doctors subjected her to an observed bowel movement, 
a CT scan and vaginal and rectal exams without a warrant, the lawsuit 
says. She was released without charges after six hours.

The hospital, which billed the woman more than $5,000 for the 
examination, settled with her last year for $1.1 million.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom